Winter
by tineryn
Summary: Hitsugaya Toushirou, as the new tenth captain in the Gotei 13, earns the respect of his peers. Hitsugaya/Tenth Squad centric, with a side of Ukitake. Pre-series, WIP, No pairings.
1. Chapter 1: Captains Meeting

**Title:** Winter

**Summary**: Hitsugaya Toushirou, as the new tenth captain in the Gotei 13, earns the respect of his peers. Pre-series  
**  
Genres:** General, Drama, Action  
**  
Rating:** Everyone

**Notes:** I originally intended this story to be a long one-shot about a single incident that earned Hitsugaya respect in his place as captain. When I sat down to write it, however, I quickly realized that this was not a reasonable course of action. Respect cannot be earned instantaneously, especially when working against stereotypes of inexperience and age. This is what resulted from that.

There are a few major themes in this story. Ostensibly, the fic is about Hitsugaya's quest to become a peer in the eyes of his fellow captains. Beyond that, it is what might be considered a "coming of age," story, because I do not believe that it is an easy thing for a child, even a prodigy, to take on a leadership role in an adult world. That said, his inherent maturity and responsibility would necessarily lead to a disconnect between him and the rest of his age group. On top of his own isolation, Hitsugaya deals with his changing friendship with Hinamori, and even gains a few new friends.

I am posting this as a WIP, despite the fact that I know this isn't generally a good idea, because I wanted to get something up. Updates will therefore be sporadic. Don't be afraid to IM me or contact me privately to remind me to continue, or if you have any questions.

Also, if you use LiveJournal, and prefer reading fic there, this is being posted in my community, which is linked in my profile.

* * *

Kurotsuchi Mayuri had moved forward when he had begun speaking, and did not turn, so during the twelfth captain's monologue, Hitsugaya Toushirou could only study the small the man's back and his arms, which he folded carefully behind him. His skin was uncalloused, brown instead of white, and his fingernails were picked down to the bone but carefully manicured. In each hand, he grasped the opposite elbow, drumming his fingers against the hard bones of his arm. His feet seemed caught between the desires to pace dramatically and to stand resolute and still. Beyond everyone, the evening sun shone orange through the window and played across the tile floor.

"As I was saying," his voice echoed in the corners of the room, "the twelfth's monitors have, for the past six and a half months, observed an unusually thin concentration of hollow activity in any particular area. I, myself, hypothesized that this resulted from a shift of the spatial axis between the human world and Hueco Mundo." Kurotsuchi paused meaningfully and straightened his shoulders. His shadow, definite against the brightly lit floor, lengthened with his posture. "Of course," he glanced at Sousuke Aizen and Ukitake Jyuushiro, "the fifth and thirteenth divisions are already aware of this." The two mentioned offered gracious but shallow bows of their heads.

There was a definite pause before Tousen Kaname stepped forward, chin raised slightly higher than appeared comfortable and one ear turned toward Kurotsuchi. "Is it wise for only two divisions to cover such a large area? Shouldn't more squads be stationed in the human world?" The question appeared to be addressed to Yamamoto Genryuusai, but the Captain Commander only nodded his head once to the twelfth captain.

"Not necessarily." Kurotsuchi's grin widened as he spoke, and hearing him, Tousen stepped back. "Luckily, I was proven correct. We predict that the axis will settle within the next three to four months in the Nordic region. The most likely location is Oslo, Norway." The reactions to this news were somewhat varied. A few perked up with interest, while the others remained expressionless or visibly sagged. Hitsugaya resisted the urge to roll his eyes at that. It was not as if they would be given time to sightsee, so he didn't know what the problem was. The only real issues were the environmental hazards and benefits, and the citizens. He looked around at each of the faces and then stepped forward.

Yamamoto's eyes widened, and after a beat, he said, "Toushirou!" in a tone not unlike a surprised but distant grandfather. The expression mirrored in each of his companions, their wide eyes full doting, annoyance, or pity in turn. Hitsugaya pursed his lips, breathed in and allowed one fist to clench at his side, but otherwise did not outwardly respond. "Captain Kurotsuchi, Captain Commander." He nodded to each respectively. "What do we know about Oslo? What are the population density and relevant environmental factors?" He stepped back.

Kurotsuchi looked at Hitsugaya with an unreadable expression before speaking. "The city is large and mostly wooded, but the population is rather low for a capital, which leads me to believe that there is a high concentration of spiritually aware humans… or an unprecedented amount of deceased souls. It will be very cold and very wet." He said the last part almost directly to Hitsugaya, as if he knew that the information had solidified his resolve. He probably did. Hitsugaya was still relatively new and had not worked with most captains directly, but his young age had guaranteed a high attendance to his captaincy test. His affinity for water and ice were therefore well known.

'_Not,'_ said a small voice in his head, _'that you'll get it anyway.'_ Hitsugaya shoved it back into a musty, unused corner of his mind, but the observation had been well made. When he had achieved his captaincy, he had been expecting more of a trial by fire. That was what everyone had told him would happen. Instead, for the past few months, division ten had been made to "partner up" with other squads. The result was that the other captains effectively had a whole squad's worth of extra people to do their work, and that Hitsugaya's newly won responsibilities extended almost exclusively to filling out paperwork. He had told himself repeatedly that they were just being generous, that the other captains were simply being nice and helping him out while he grew accustomed to his new position, but as time went on, the actions felt less charitable and more and more patronizing. It sat heavily in the pit of his stomach.

'_And if you do anything about it, you'll look like a petulant child.'_

The Captain Commander cleared his throat. "That may be the case, but I am more inclined to agree with Tousen. Two squads are not enough to ensure the safety of such a large area. As such, the thirteenth squad will settle in Oslo until further notice. Ukitake, if your health permits it, join your squad there, as we do not know the severity of the hollows' interest in the area." Ukitake bowed his assent. "Third will join them. Fifth, remain in Istanbul until the completion of the shift. Twelfth," he shifted his attention once more to Kurotsuchi. "Station squads six through nine in the areas between that are most likely to pose a problem. The eleventh will remain on alert and provide assistance to earthbound squads in addition to taking care of hollows in unprotected areas." Kenpachi nodded, but his eyes were narrowed and his lips a thin line. "Toushirou, you will assist the eleventh squad." Hitsugaya stiffened. He could feel something coiling in his chest, cracking like ice in his veins and his knuckles, but he breathed deeply and nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Yamamoto's posture relaxed considerably against his staff. "Very well," he said, his voice considerably brighter. "If there is nothing more, you are dismissed."

The atmosphere lightened immediately. Kuchiki led as several of the captains swept quickly out of the room, robes billowing behind him. Kenpachi's steps were slightly heavier than necessary. The muscles in his neck were lined with tension, and his hands balled into tight fists. He would not be pleasant to work with, Hitsugaya surmised, suppressing the urge to scoff. Work with? Work _for_, more like. In his belly, it felt like the endless pit was consuming Hyourinmaru, who fought back in a scaly, terrifying rage. The muscles in his jaw had begun to lock from the tightness. _'I'll go train after this,' _he decided. Aggression had built up, and he needed to get it out.

The other captains who had not left had gathered in small cliques, but Hitsugaya didn't bother to see if they had gathered to discuss the assignments or personal matters. It didn't matter anyway. He noticed that Yamamoto must have had left by a different exit, or else his situational awareness had faltered too. The light on the floor had dimmed at some point, and the others were starting to migrate toward the door.

There was nothing else to be done, Hitsugaya told himself, forcing himself to inhale slowly and deeply. He could only hope now that circumstances would arise that allowed him to prove his capabilities to the rest of the thirteen. In the mean time…

Hitsugaya felt hunger stirring, but brushed it aside. Training, then food. But first, he would have to stop by the tenth's offices, wake Matsumoto and tell her whose paperwork they would be filing this time.


	2. Chapter 2: Division 10

_Winter, Chapter 2:_

* * *

If not for the pressure in his ears, settling on his shoulders and winding around his chest, Hitsugaya would have been pleasantly surprised to find Matsumoto Rangiku sitting at her desk, filling out paperwork despite the sake bottle that sat beside her, lonely and almost finished. Since that was not the case, a thick silence filled the room and occupied the space between them, broken only by the scratching of paper against paper, paper against pen, and the creaking of an old chair against an even older wooden floor. Matsumoto looked up when he entered, her face slightly flushed. She opened her mouth, and after a tense second closed it again and returned to her business.

Hitsugaya wanted to collapse face first on the couch and scream, muffled by the worn pillows. For a split second, his mind's eye filled with a therapeutic, if uncharacteristic, temper tantrum, snarling and flailing like a wild thing. Instead, closed his eyes, steeled his resolve, walked past the couch and sat carefully behind his desk.

Matsumoto, he noticed, had stopped working. She held the pen in midair, hovering over a paper on her desk, but her eyes were on him, brows slightly furrowed. Her hair had fallen into her face, but she did not attempt to flick it away. She had to have noticed his deep breathing exercises, then, he realized, and how he sat down as if his desk and chair were made of thin glass. _'Perfect,' _he sneered internally. However, despite his effort, Hitsugaya knew there wasn't really a point in masking his frustration. Eventually, he had to tell her what had happed at the meeting, and he sincerely doubted he could keep all traces of bitterness out of his voice when he did.

Hitsugaya drew another deep breath and placed his palms gently on the surface of his desk. His granny had been a deeply practicing Buddhist in life, and had carried many of those philosophies and routines over into her death. As such, she had been sure to teach the stern boy the basic tenets of meditation, lessons that had served him well throughout his short life. Patience had never been one of his strong points, but discipline had, so on most days he found himself employing some of these strategies at least once.

The old wooden desk had a thick, clear glossy finish that felt cool against the pads off his fingers and his palms. The cedar was honey colored with straight, even grain that broke off into swirls when interrupted by knots. His papers were crisp and white, in neat, even stacks. His favorite pen was in its spot beside extra blue ink and a sharp graphite pencil. Hitsugaya had never been good at clearing his mind as his grandmother had tried to teach him; instead, he focused on perfect, mundane details and allowed them to take precedence over whatever was bothering him. This had limited effectiveness now, when the task of repeating everything to Matsumoto hovered just before him, baring its teeth in a wide, sinister grin.

"Stop that." Matsumoto. Hitsugaya started out of his thoughts and glanced quickly and severely over at her. She was unapologetic, and raised an elegant brow as she tucked her blonde hair behind one ear. "You're making it cold. I'm getting goose bumps."

"Oh." He had not noticed the change in temperature until she pointed it out, and even then, when he did not focus directly on it, it slipped beyond his perception. "Sorry." He concentrated on his reiatsu and drew it back into himself, but the damage had already been done, so he stood up, grabbed the fleece blanket from the back of the couch, and delivered it to his vice captain at her desk.

She accepted it with a smile, and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Chivalry isn't dead!" she quipped, and nodded thankfully before sobering. "I take it the meeting didn't go well, then." She did not finish with, "… if you're losing control of your reiatsu," but he heard it anyway and pressed his lips together.

'_That's an elementary mistake,'_ said the voice. _'You should fix that.'_

He bit back the urge to argue with himself. "I apologize," he said stiffly to Matsumoto instead. "It won't happen again." He took a deep breath and felt one fist clench at his side. "And _no_." His words twisted involuntarily into a sneer. "It didn't. I'm sure you can guess why."

Matsumoto looked away. "Oh." She put her pen down and began studying her cuticles. "Well… did they say anything?" She didn't have any hangnails, so instead she rubbed at the ink staining her pinky and the side of her hand. "It could have just been…"

Hitsugaya's fingernails bit into his palms. He glanced at the ceiling and cut her off. "Basically, this winter, the hollows will begin congregating in and around Oslo, Norway. The fifth is staying in Istanbul until they're gone, and they're sending Ukitake to Oslo. We will assist the eleventh division, who will remain in Seireitei and provide backup for squads stationed in the human world."

Matsumoto's head snapped to attention. "We're providing _backup_ to the backup? Are you kidding?"

"And, being the eleventh, I doubt they'll need it."

"Still, you'd think they'd send you to a place like Oslo in January." She wrinkled her nose even as she said it. Hitsugaya glared at her.

"Tch."

There was a pause. "…Maybe they just wanted the eleventh division's paperwork done for once," Matusmoto joked, in an attempt to fill the silence that once again stretched between them. Her tone, though, was suspiciously lacking in levity, so Hitsugaya ignored it.

For a moment, a cold breeze filled the room, ruffling stacks of paper and rattling the blinds before he gained control of it. _'You again, little dragon. If you keep this up, you may as well just throw the temper tantrum and be done with it. Secrets are useless if the weather changes with your mood.'_

'_Shut up.'_

"At any rate," he said at length to his lieutenant, "as you appear to have things well in hand, I will be training in the practice field."

For once, she didn't protest, and if she had meant to, it died on her lips. "Yes, Captain," she said instead. "Take your time. I'll even put the sake away." Matsumoto shook the nearly empty bottle with a benevolent smirk, and then put it in the cabinet below her desk, closing and locking the door firmly. "Now, shoo. You're disrupting my concentration."

Hitsugaya stared at her and felt a slight tugging at the corner of his lips. He reached behind him and grasped Hyourinmaru, relishing the comfort with which it fit his hand, and then rushed out of the room before releasing a breath and indulging in a quick, relieved smile. Already, he could feel some of his tension ebbing away.

At least something had gone right today.


End file.
